You must work at least 750 hours per year in a qualified RE business.So most people who have high-earning W-2 jobs outside of real estate won't qualify.But the unique thing about RE pro status is that even if you don’t qualify but your spouse does, you can both file jointly and claim the losses from your RE investments to offset your other active income together.It's an incredibly powerful benefit if you do meet the criteria.

I've done this with my properties because I'm well known in my small town and don't want people to know what I own.

Hi Michael,I agree with Bruce that rephrasing other people’s content can be risky, as it could potentially lead to plagiarism issues, and it doesn’t establish your business as an authority in the field.

I am just curious how people scale when they don’t have a lot of liquid cash like me?  

You can also usually count on rents increasing enough in around 5 years, so that you do cashflow.Of course you have to watch out for over-leveraging and going bust!

People want to be on the water not near it.

When I need something done fast, I can count on them to squeeze me in.Keep in mind that if you need the cheapest option for your deal to pencil, you probably should not be buying that deal. 

Most people have zero knowledge or experience when it comes to building. 

Then, I would share with them how you manage properties and what your expectations are for them as well as you - essentially explaining how you work with people renting from you.

I'm in Oregon which basically whips people for being landlords but 99% of your problems are solved by getting good tenants so screen, screen, screen.